Improvement in dust-pans



UNITED STATES PATENT 'OEErcE EPHRAIM KRAMM, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DUST-PANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 57,009, dated November 17, 1874 application filed April 28, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPHRAIM KRAMM, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dust-Pans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof', sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw'- ings, making part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section thereof'.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in a dust-pan having a sunken dust-chamber, to which is secured a hand and foot handle, so constructed that the chamber is thereby elevated from the Hoor, but adapted to be depressed for the twofold purpose, first, of bringing the front of the pan against the oor, and keeping it to its work, and, next, of pressing the chamber against the floor, whereby there are three points of friction between the pan and the floor, viz., the front edge of the pan, the rear angular portion of the handle, and the bottom of the chamber intermediate of said edge and portion, so that the pan will be held firmly during the operation of dusting or sweeping. Referring to the drawings, A represents what may be termed the platform of the pan, the same being inclined or ascending from its front edge c toward the back of the pan. B represents a chamber, which is arranged at the inner or rear end b of the platform, and sunk, so that its bottom is below the said end b of the platform. A dooror lid, C, is hinged at the rear of the pan, and adapted to cover and uncover the chamber B.

At the rear of the chamber B I secure a looped handle, D, which commences at the upper end of the chambers, curves downwardly, as at f to c, then longitudinally forward at an elevation from c to d, and joins the lower end of the rear of the chamber B.

It will be seen that the outer lower corner c of the handle supports the rear of the pan, and the inner lower corner d is elevated above the line of the ioor, so that the bottom of the chamber B also is elevated from the floor; but the part c d of the handle is of a yielding nature, and thus permits the raising and lowering of the chamber B of the pan.

The pan may be carried f'rom place to place by being grasped at the portion f of the handle D.

When the pan is laid on the floor, it may be moved from place to place by inserting the foot in the loop of the handle D, and guided by the foot. Now, as the part d of the handle D, and likewise the bottom of the sunken chamber, are elevated, and the corner or angle c supports the handle and rear of the pan, the pressure of the foot on the part c d of' the handle, owing to the spring or yielding nature thereof', will depress both said part c d and the chamber B, and likewise force the front edge a of the platform A firmly against the carpet or door, so that dust cannot pass under said edge. rlhe dust can now be swept up the inclined platform, and then drops into the chamber B, from whence it cannot return down the platform. The lid C may now be closed or applied, and the pan carried to the place designed for collection of the dust, the discharge thereof being accomplished by overturning the pan.

It will also be noticed that, during the sweeping operation, the foot holds down the front edge of the platform, the bottom of the chamber, and bottom of the handle, so that the combined friction between the floor and three points stated (the latter being, respectively, the front and rear lower edges of the pan, and the bottom of the chamber B intermediate of' the edges) prevents slipping of the pan, and thus insures the gathering of the dust, the operation heilig simple and practical.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lefters Patent, is-

The platform A, constructed with the sunken chamber B, having its bottom elevated, in combination with the hand and foot looped handle D, constructed of the spring part c d, secured to the lower portion of the sunken chamber B, and the curved part f, secured to the upper portion of the said chamber B, all constructed and operating as herein set forth.

EPHRAIM KRAMM.

Witnesses:

J oHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, L. F. BRoUs. 

